


Payment

by imtoolazytothinkofausername



Series: A New Start [3]
Category: Alex Rider - Anthony Horowitz
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-04
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:27:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26807350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imtoolazytothinkofausername/pseuds/imtoolazytothinkofausername
Summary: It doesn't take Alex long to realize that his debt to Yassen is steadily growing. (Or, it's difficult for Alex to accept that there's not always a catch.)
Relationships: Yassen Gregorovich & Alex Rider
Series: A New Start [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1896277
Comments: 4
Kudos: 75





	Payment

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Alex Rider or any affiliated characters. I did not write this for profit.

Alex was surprised and pleased to find out that some of his lessons were in subjects such as maths, history, and English. Part of him had expected to have to leave school behind entirely. After all, if the point of this arrangement was to teach Alex how to live on his own, Alex would need to become entirely self-sufficient, and that wasn’t easily done while balancing school work. But Yassen had promised that Alex would be able to enroll in the local school. The prospect both excited Alex and made him nervous. He was sure that he was far behind the local kids in terms of education and that the difference wouldn’t be able to be put down to a different school system. It was just as well, that they’d moved there in the summer. Having the summer months to study would help him catch up. For 3 hours a day on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, Alex met a private tutor, a Mr. Chesney, in the local library. 

Alex liked Mr. Chesney. He was a kind man. A retired teacher who was always patient with Alex even though Alex was sure that most children his age already knew what Mr. Chesney was trying to teach Alex. Still, the tutoring sessions were just one more reminder of something Alex had recently realized: Yassen had to be spending a fortune on Alex. 

Yassen provided everything Alex needed and at least some luxuries. They lived in a house that Yassen owned. They did the food shopping together, but of course Yassen paid for the food. When they’d arrived in town, Yassen had even taken Alex to a local department store to pick out new clothes and a few personal belongings. This was necessary as Alex had been forced to abandon all of his personal belongings when he had left and Alex had no money of his own. However, it made Alex feel uncomfortable accepting so much from the man. It wasn’t as though Yassen hadn’t already repaid his debt to John Rider over and over again. Scorpia expected 5 years of service as repayment for their training. Alex doubted Yassen wanted Alex to work for him, but surely he expected _something_ in return. 

Alex brought the subject up one night while he and Yassen were eating dinner. The assassin waved it off with something of an amused smile. “I have more than enough money, Alex. You don’t need to worry about the cost.” 

“But...You don’t understand. I don’t know if I’ll ever have the money to pay you back. All my money is with MI6. And I don’t know how to do anything.” 

Yassen raised an eyebrow at the last part, a fork full of noodles halting halfway to his mouth. He actually laughed, and Alex realized how that must sound considering Alex's history.

“I mean anything marketable.” Alex amended. 

“You have more marketable skills than you realize. It’s only a matter of honing them and learning how to use them. By the time we part, I’ll teach you how to falsify documents to obtain employment and ways you can get money if you’re out of work.” 

“You mean like how to kill?” 

“No.” Yassen’s reply was swift and sharp. The silence hung heavy between them for a moment, and Yassen scrutinized him for a moment, the assassin’s eyes giving none of his own thoughts away. “No.” He said again more gently. “You don’t want to know how to kill.” 

“Well...no,” Alex admitted and took a sip of Coke, “but I also don’t know how to get a job or make enough money to survive, so how can I pay you back-” 

“You don’t need to pay me back, Alex. I have more than enough money, and it would be incredibly easy for me to make more.” Yassen told him. “As for how you’ll make a living, well, no child truly knows how to make a living. You’ll learn in time. You’re a child, Alex.” He didn’t say the word in a belittling way. It was just a matter of fact. “You shouldn’t have to work for a living. Not yet.” He paused, then added, “Let me take care of you for now.” 

Alex wasn’t sure what to make of this statement. One of the things he’d learned quickly while working for MI6 was that no one in this world did anything for free. If Yassen didn’t expect money, then what did he stand to gain from all of this? Could it really be loyalty to a dead man? One who had betrayed Yassen at that? But if Yassen wanted something from the teenager, he was doing a good job of hiding it, and he’d already proven himself willing to risk everything for Alex’s safety. What did Alex stand to lose from taking Yassen at his word? If Yassen was lying, then it would eventually become apparent. Alex could decide on a course of action if that happened. 

He realized that Yassen was still watching him as if waiting for Alex to reply. Finally, Alex nodded. 


End file.
